Robotic surgery in Tripura hospital soon

A state-run hospital and medical college in Tripura is set to introduce robotic surgery for safer and painless operations.

The technique will soon be made available at Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital in collaboration with the International Society of Robotic Surgery (ISRS).

"Initially, ISRS surgeons will do the robotic surgeries. Then hospital doctors will be trained," state health minister Tapan Chakraborty said Friday.

He said over Rs.16 crore had been spent on infrastructure and machines to enable the surgeries.

Explaining the procedure, a surgeon at the hospital told IANS that in a robotic surgery, only three incursions of a centimetre each are made, preventing heavy bleeding and reducing rehabilitation period.

The doctor said the technique was effective in kidney transplants and bypass, cardiac, oncological and gynaecological surgeries.